WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Sophomore Britton Mann set a new High Point University indoor record in the shot put to lead the way for the Panthers at the UNCG Early Bird Duals on Sunday at the JDL Fast Track in Winston-Salem, N.C.
“I think today was a positive for us,” assistant coach Scott Hall said. “We handled the meet really well, especially considering the high number of freshmen. We went in focused and did what they were coached to do. Britton did a great job over the summer getting stronger and that is showing in his performance. He was able to get a mark today that he had gotten in practice but hadn’t been able to do in a meet yet. The pole vault group also performed well as a whole and was a pleasant surprise.”
Mann finished second in the shot put with a throw of 14.94m, besting the previous school record of 14.38m set by Jim Wilson at the Kent Taylor Invite on Feb. 21, 2015. Mann also placed fifth in the weight throw with a toss of 13.18m.
The Panthers put three competitors into the top five in the pole vault led by freshman Zane Griffith who placed second with a vault of 4.10m. Freshman Jordan McClung placed third with a vault of 3.95m and freshmen Pablo Romero Gonzalez placed fifth with a vault of 3.80m. Romero Gonzalez placed in the top 13 in three events in his first collegiate meet, finished eighth in the 60m hurdles with a time of 8.58 and 13th in the long jump with a distance of 6.19m.
Senior Patrick Irwin turned in two top-seven finishes on the day, placing fourth in the high jump with a jump of 1.95m and seventh in the pole vault with a vault of 3.50m. Freshman John Singleton III also placed in the top-10 in the high jump with a seventh place finish and a height of 1.90m.
High Point is off now until the spring semester when the indoor season resumes at the Virginia Tech Invitational in Blacksburg, Va. The two-day event begins on January 13.